A Pirate's Life For Balthier
by Kai Haiaku
Summary: A short single-chapter that expands on the ending of FFXII which means SPOILERS people. Brief intro to my writing, not an action-y piece. Please RnR, no flames. Rated T for use of vocab and concepts of death.


This is a very brief expansion on the ending of Final Fantasy XII, detailing the vagueness of the events there. All very mild content, but a MAJOR SPOILER ALERT! If you have not beaten or do not yet know the ending of FFXII, I suggest not reading this one, as it involves details about the end. You were warned

SPOILERS!!!!

A Pirate's Life for Balthier: Kai Haiaku

Balthier sat and looked out over the horizon from his hotel window high above the walks of Archades. It was hard to believe how quickly the last few years had passed. A small smile played across his lips as he thought about the things his life had given him of late. Four years ago had been the crisis era; the looming war between Archadia and Rozzaria. A tangled web of events had left him with a few more companions than he had bargained for, and more trouble than five Seeqs could haul.

He recalled the final battle above Rabanastre; the bulk of the Archadian armada against the Dalmascan Resistance. It had seemed odd, as he dodged between battling aircraft aboard the Strahl, how calm his nerves had been. Everyone was a far cry less tense than expected given the magnitude of what was at stake. It was a prime example of how dire circumstances brought out the best in all. Boarding the sky fortress Bahamut had been the easy part, compared to the battle that lay ahead.

Their confrontation of Vayne Solidor held more surprised, perhaps, than their entire journey put together, the ambitious emperor infusing himself with both the power of manufacted nethicite and Venat's powers. The battle was hard won, and not without sacrifice. Bathier bowed his head a moment in though of the lost Judge Magister. It was a shame to have a loved one torn away as things were just starting to become clear, and as rival factions unified. Balthier heaved a sigh, remembering his father at Ridoranna, about how he could feel such hatred and love at the same time. He silently wished Basch and Ashe the best.

And who could have known that so many people thought so little of him! As the sky fortress threatened to tumble atop the city of Rabanastre, where should he be found but fixing its rotational rings, saving the city from its crumbling bulk. Not a task he saw himself doing just weeks before that. Despite his assurances that the leading man simply couldn't die, they were all ready to mark him off as lost. A wider, more trouble-loving smile crossed his face at the joy of proving them wrong. The ultimate "I-told-you-so" in a way. It was always the ambition of a performer to show off miraculous feats and leave the audience guessing as to how it ever was possible... but could any of them done it better?

He recalled as the Bahamut began to tumble just beyond the boundaries of Rabanastre, he had scooped up Fran and made for his makeshift craft. He had given what his companions had thought of as a final goodbye, the explosions around him almost deafening. The walkway began to shudder as he made it closer to the end, but he never broke stride. He had been grateful for having purchased the spare (if shabby) hover in Archades, as it seemed it would now be the tool of his miracle. He shook his head at the simplicity of it, which no one had bothered to consider. His amusement at the time, however, was short-lived. The ride was anything but friendly, as the explosions and crumbling structure threatened to do them in. The rode out the shockwaves and looked back to see the pillar of the Bahamut protruding from Giza like a black lightning bolt.

They drifted as far as they could on their battered and haphazard vehicle, before it simply gave out beneath them (why, in the name of Ivalice did they always have that kind of luck?) and they crashed in north Ozmone, near the Giza border. The nasty fall had left his leg broken and Fran with a concussion, but they had lived. It took a little while to recover and make their way back to Rabanastre, but he wished he could have seen the look on young Vaan's face at the sight of the empty hangar after he'd come to reclaim the Strahl. Their first stop had been Eruyt, where Fran made amends with her sisters, and using the tale of how the rag-tag bad of Humes had saved all Ivalice from destruction, challenging even the gods, to try and change the Vierra perspective of things.

It was a quiet life for a while, until Vaan came to visit. How surprised the lad had been when he heard the news! Balthier's heart swelled at the memory. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small photograph of a very excited one-year-old surrounded by three Vierra. His song displayed all the energy of his grandfather years ago. He examined the features of the boy, very much like his own... the same eyes, and hair, but with a softer grace, and a more Vierra-like nose. Life had been kind to them, to be sure.

Lady Ashe and Basch were together, and speculation of the marriage reached as far as Archadia. Passerby could be seen eavesdropping on many a conversation hoping to make a chop or two. Penelo and Vaan were all the couple he and Fran had been in the earlier partnership, it seemed likely they'd be together for as a long a time. And Balthier? He stretched and went to the door casting a last look out the window. He'd left Fran to her devices in Eruyt and made for what he did best. His wife and child would join him in the skies soon enough. Meanwhile, he looked forward to the adventures they'd have, Sky Pirates all.


End file.
